COMIC CON 2017: Entering the “New” World of Once Upon a Time

On the third day of Comic Con 2017, Once Upon a Time was the first panel to be held in Ballroom 20, featuring returning lead actors Colin O’Donoghue, Lana Parrilla and Robert Carlyle, executive producers Eddy Kitsis, Adam Horowitz and David H. Goodman and new cast members Gabrielle Anwar, Andrew J. West and Dania Ramirez.

Naturally, the first question aimed at Eddy and Adam by moderator Yvette Nicole Brown, who is a BIG fan of the show and had moderated this panel in the past, was “what are you doing with the show?” That, of course, came from the mass cast exodus that took place at the end of last season and the happy endings that brought season six to an end in May.

Eddy was firm in his response, “we had a plan for six seasons. It was time for happy endings and now (it’s time) to go on a new adventure.” In fact, the first opening scenes of the season premiere that will air on ABC on its new night Friday, October 6, were screened giving fans a chance to see the new direction of the show.

Without giving away too many details, Henry will be leaving Storybrooke, setting out on his own to find out what his future will be – since his family got their happy endings. In his role as the author, he discovered that there are more than one version of the fairy tales, and that is where he is headed: to find those new “worlds”.

Of course, as shown in the season finale in May, the new direction of the show will focus on an adult Henry (Andrew J. West) and his young daughter, who surprised him at his front door in much the same way he did to his birth mother Emma all those decades before. Since the show has experienced a time jump that means there will be other new characters coming into Henry’s life, including an alternate version of Cinderella (to be played by Dania Ramirez); her wicked stepmother (to be played by Gabrielle Anwar) and one of Cinderella’s step-sisters (to be played by Adelaide Kane). Other new characters will be a new version of Alice in Wonderland (to be played by Rose Reynolds) and Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog (to be played by Mekia Cox).

Fans should also not be worried that they won’t see their favorite characters again, as Adam shared that “this is (our) chance to pay homage to past cast (members), but many of them will be back.” He also insisted they “will not be erasing anyone.”

If you want to see what Once Upon a Time looks like in its new world, make sure to watch the season finale on October 6 at 8/7c.

About Rueben

Using her favorite online handle, Rueben is an East Coast-bred gal who is now a permanent Californian and a lifelong tv-oholic. She watches at least 25 TV shows a week, goes to the movies as often as possible, listens to music every waking moment, reads every day and “plays” on the internet every chance she can. Some of her current favorite TV shows are Outlander, Arrow, Grimm, The Blacklist, Teen Wolf, Killjoys, Dark Matter, The Shannara Chronicles, Good Witch, When Calls the Heart, The 100, Switched at Birth, Jane the Virgin, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., The Flash and The Fosters (among others). She is looking forward to the limited-run returns of Prison Break and 24: Legacy as well as the debuts of Emerald City and Midnight, Texas. Follow her at @ruebenrambling or contact her at rueben@nicegirlstv.com.